TV ratings up for NCAA tournament's 1st full day

Harvard's Laurent Rivard (0) battles under the boards with New Mexico's Chad Adams (4) and teammateTony Snell (21) in the second half during a second round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Harvard defeated New Mexico New Mexico 68-62. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
— AP

Harvard's Laurent Rivard (0) battles under the boards with New Mexico's Chad Adams (4) and teammateTony Snell (21) in the second half during a second round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Harvard defeated New Mexico New Mexico 68-62. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
/ AP

Harvard head coachTommy Amaker shouts to his team during a second-round game aginst New Mexico in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Harvard defeated New Mexico New Mexico 68-62. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)— AP

Harvard head coachTommy Amaker shouts to his team during a second-round game aginst New Mexico in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Harvard defeated New Mexico New Mexico 68-62. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
/ AP

NEW YORK 
The NCAA tournament's first full day has earned its highest television rating in 19 years.

The games Thursday on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV averaged a 5.5 fast national rating and 12 share. The networks say that was up 4 percent from 2012.

This is the third season of CBS and Turner's 14-year, $10.8 billion contract to televise every game of the tournament in its entirety, a change in approach that so far has been a ratings success.

Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned to a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time.